Harris's first novel, a straightforward thriller, was Black Sunday (1975). It was made into a movie of the same name and starred Bruce Dern and Robert Shaw. Dr.

Hannibal Lecter was introduced in Thomas Harris's second book Red Dragon (1981), in which the action revolved around the creepy serial killer Francis Dolarhyde who was working at "becoming" the Great Red Dragon mentioned in the book of Revelation and depicted in William Blake's painting "The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun." The movie Manhunter (1986) was a simplified version of the book that left out the brutal maiming of the hero, Will Graham, by Dolarhyde as well as the detailed account of Dolarhyde's childhood and his eating of the red dragon painting.

The Silence of the Lambs (1988) introduced Clarice Starling who becomes the chief tracker of Jame Gumb, a serial killer who wants to transform himself into a...